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HISTORY
In its 100-year history, the Rutgers Swimming and Diving program has been under the direction of just eight head coaches - James H. Reilly (1916-57), Otto H. Hill (1957-61), Frank W. Elm (1961-93), Elizabeth Blau (1993-96), Rick Simpson (1996-97), Chuck Warner (1997-10), Phil Spiniello (201015) and Petra Martin (2015-Present). Rutgers Swimming has enjoyed a proud history of success, achievement and one of the finest sports traditions “On the Banks.” Compiled after researching years of Scarlet yearbooks and Targums, this history is only a limited glimpse into the 100-year-old tradition and recognizes only a very few of the hundreds of athletes who trained, competed and contributed to the fine tradition of Rutgers Swimming. 1916-1930 Rutgers Swimming began in 1915 upon the completion of the Ballantine Gym with a $30,000 donation by Mrs. Ballantine for a pool addition. The pool was dedicated March 10, 1915 with a “gala” meet starring National Champion, world record holder and two-time Olympian (1908 and 1912) James Reilly (1997 Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame Inductee). Reilly was promptly hired as the “swim instructor” and four decades of excellence began. Reilly also presided over the new Eastern Collegiate Swimming Association from 1920 until 1927, with Rutgers compiling a record of 48 wins and only nine losses. Leo Geibel (‘23), also an AAU Champion, won the 220 free in the National Intercollegiates and set intercollegiate records in the 150 backstroke and 440 free. George Kojac (‘31) continued his national and world record-setting performances on campus and off. He represented the U.S. in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, winning gold medals in the 100 backstroke and 800 free relay. He won the 100 free title at the 1931 NCAAs and combined with Bill Marquette (‘30) and John Dryfuss (‘32) for a world record in the 300 medley relay.
1930-1961 The Ballantine Gym was destroyed by a fire in the early morning of Jan. 30, 1930, necessitating construction of a new facility. “Borrowed” sites such as the New Brunswick YMCA and Princeton University were used for swimming until the College Avenue Gym opened on March 11, 1932, with a huge “Aquatic Carnival.” In the 1930s, Walter Spence (‘34), a 1997 Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame inductee, began his career “On the Banks.” Spence was an AAU Champion and a Canadian Olympian. He won the 100 free in three consecutive NCAA Championships and combined with Walt Ashley (‘35), Ted Brick (‘34) and Norm Kramer (‘33) for a winning freestyle relay in the 1933 NCAAs. The 1930-33 teams boasted an overall record of 21-4. Later, Rutgers hosted the 1938 NCAA Championships at the “state of the art” College Avenue facility. From 1940-42 the Scarlet Knights registered a 22-6 record. The teams were led by AAU champ Chuck Gantner (‘44) who used the “new” breaststroke technique that eventually became the butterfly in 1954. Gantner was an Eastern Champion, National Champion and one-time world record holder. 1946-1956 saw continued successes with the teams recording an overall record of 64 wins against only nine losses. All-American Bob Nugent (‘52), a 1997 Olympic Sports Hall of Fame inductee, epitomized the era. Earning First Team All-American honors in ‘49, ‘50 and ‘51, Nugent was 1948 Eastern Champion in the 100 free, and an NCAA finalist in both 1950 and 1951. Reilly left Rutgers with an enviable record of 240 wins and 92 losses. His teams recorded five undefeated seasons, 12 seasons of only one loss and an overall .722 winning percentage. He was a recognized leader in the sport, having coached Olympians and world record holders during his long tenure at Rutgers. Riley was inducted into the
HISTORY Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. Head coach Otto Hill led the Rutgers men from 1957-1961. 1961-1991 Frank Elm was appointed head coach in 1961 after Otto Hill was promoted to Athletic Business Administrator. Elm came to Rutgers as a successful AAU Coach, New Jersey Interscholastic Champion, All-American from Indiana University and swimmer-coach in the Marine Corps. From 1961-72 the Scarlet Knights enjoyed 11-straight winning seasons, with an overall 79-42 record. The creation of the Eastern Seaboard Championships in 1965 brought the Scarlet Knights to a new level. Swimmers Bill Clark (‘63), Larry Jones and John Wasylyk (64), Don Galluzzi and Marty Flickenger (‘65), and diver Roy Nichols (‘64) (Eastern Champion and NCAA top-eight finisher) were the top performers. In 1968, Rutgers was fourth in the prestigious Easterns with top six performances by Bob Chenaux (‘66), in the 1650, Dave Feigley (‘66) in diving, All-American sprinters Bruce Ball (‘67) and Dick Woodrow (‘66), and Peter Hibbard (‘67), Eastern Champion in diving. Rutgers’ success in the Easterns continued with John Hannan (‘68) scoring in the 1650, 500, and 200 fly while Jim Rose (‘67), Elliot Cheneaux (‘68), Jim Parkinson (‘70), Jose Ferraioli (‘69), Dave Helming (‘71) and divers Peter Leitner (‘70) and Ted Doeing (‘72) contributed to the team’s efforts. Ferraioli and the Cheneaux brothers represented their native Puerto Rico in Olympic competition. Gregg Anderson ‘70 (Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame Inductee) was the leading point-scorer for the Scarlet Knights in the late 60s. He was named All-American in both 1968 and 1969 in the 200 backstroke and won three Eastern Championships while qualifying to compete in the NCAAs. The ‘70s are best known for the inclusion of women in the RU program. Olympian Judy Mellick (‘77), became the first female member of the Rutgers team and the first woman to compete with men. Mellick was among the pioneers as newly-coed RU embarked on a successful women’s athletic program. In recognition of her contributions, Mellick was inducted into the first class of the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. Rutgers women’s swimming burst onto the scene with three consecutive undefeated seasons, 1975-1977, and a dominance of Eastern Championships. The RU women were the only Eastern team to place in the top ten at the 1977 Nationals. Fifteen swimmers earned All-American recognition. Judy Mellick, Ellen Wallace, Debbie Franks, Maureen Mortell and Robin Locklair were among the leaders, champions and stars of their era. Wallace later represented the U.S. at the Pan-Am Championships and has been inducted into the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. A 1997 inductee into the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame, Tiny Condrillo Randazzo was a consistent scorer at the Eastern
Championships, a top-six finisher at Nationals and a two time All-American. In the ‘70s Elm had a 70-20 record with the women’s program.
Frank Elm (far left) poses with Judy Mellick (far right), who was Rutgers University’s first female varsity swimmer.
Frank Elm best described the ‘80s when he retired in 1993. In an interview he said, “There have been so many highs and lows over the years. The lows were not winning too much, especially during the 80’s when basically we had no scholarship help and our pool was antiquated. We couldn’t attract anybody, so it was really difficult to hang in there and keep going,” (Star Ledger, April 30, 1993). But the Scarlet Knights did keep going and continued with a proud and competitive decade. The ‘80s saw mostly .500 seasons for both men and women, but the teams were spirited and competitive. The 1987-88 season saw five school records broken. James McGuckin received the unprecedented awarding of both the James H. Reilly trophy and August Heintzmann awards. Swimmers Ron Farina, Peter Loftus and Ted Zlydaszek combined to lead the men to an 8-2 record and set eight school records in 1989. The long-awaited news that a new facility would actually be built aided Coach Elm in recruiting. Elm recruits Jeff Farschon, Larry Page and Tim Berlin led the Scarlet Knights’ rebuilding efforts. Atlantic 10 Champions and school record holders Farschon and Page were named Swimmers of the Year in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Elm retired after 31 years at the helm of Rutgers swimming. He led the efforts to construct the “state of the art” swimming facility which is part of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus. The facility, located just west of the football stadium, was completed in 1991.
HISTORY Championship meet in Erin McIntyre. Erin made the “A cut” in the 1650 freestyle, and also qualified for the 400IM and 500 freestyle. A year later, the women jumped to second in the conference and Warner was once again named BIG EAST Coach of the Year. The 2004-05 season was highlighted by the remarkable individual accomplishments of All-American Kelly Harrigan and senior Sean Smith, who both came away with BIG EAST Most Outstanding Performer honors at the conference championship meet. Both the men’s and women’s squads finished in third place, behind only Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, and are poised to remain at the top of the conference standings for years to come.
Frank Elm was a coach of the 64’ U.S. Olympic Team, of which Sue Pitt-Anderson and Ginnie Duenkel were members.
1993-2009 Elizabeth Blau, an Elm assistant, became the head coach in 1993 and led the team in its transition from the Atlantic 10 Conference to the tougher and faster BIG EAST. On 1994 Scarlet Knight swimmers went 7-2 in men’s competition, and 4-5 in women’s contests. Nine school records fell that season. Diving coach Fred Woodruff was named Atlantic 10 Diving Coach of the Year in 1995. Interim Coach Rick Simpson led the 1996-97 Scarlet swimmers as Rutgers hosted the BIG EAST Championships at the Werblin Center. The season was highlighted by a first-ever victory over Army. In 1997, California transplant and well-known coach Chuck Warner took over the building process at Rutgers. Warner began the process of re-building a championship program and continuing the storied success of Rutgers swimming. In 1998-99, the men’s team jumped from 10th to fifth at the BIG EAST Championships and in 1999-2000, the women vaulted from ninth to second at the conference championships, the most dramatic leap of any team in the BIG EAST. For his efforts, Warner was named BIG EAST Women’s Coach of the Year, following a season that saw his women’s squad finish with a 7-2 overall mark and shatter 20 school swimming and diving records. This feat, along with the 6-3 mark posted by the men’s squad, which finished third in the conference, served as tangible proof that Rutgers swimming was on the rise on a conference and national level. In 2002-03 the women’s team finished third in the conference, and broke all but two school records. The women’s team also saw its first ever qualifier for the NCAA
Kelly Harrigan was a four-time NCAA First Team All-American and 19-time BIG EAST champion during her career at RU.
The 2005-06 season, arguably one of the most successful under Coach Warner, was highlighted by the team’s second-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships and 18th-place showing at the NCAA Championships, the highest team finish in the program’s history. The Rutgers University swimming and diving team added yet another successful season to the programs storied history during the 2006-07 season. The team demonstrated the programs growing success by winning six straight dual meet competitions to end the season with a 6-1 record overall and a 3-0 mark in BIG EAST competition. The Scarlet Knights once again placed second in the BIG EAST Championships and managed a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2008 the Scarlet Knights captured three individual first-place finishes at the BIG EAST Championships and two swimmers advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Shayna Longacre garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors
HISTORY with her performance at the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, numerous former, current and future Scarlet Knights competed at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. In 2009, Catherine Whetstone earned a trip to the NCAAs after earning the gold at the BIG EAST Championships - and setting a new meet record - in the 100 backstroke 2010-2015 After the 2010 season, a new era was ushered in with the hiring of head coach Phil Spiniello. Spiniello saw great improvements in his squad during his first year with the Scarlet Knights. Senior Jen Betz made the trip to the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship at the University of Texas in Austin, following a second place finish at the Zone A Diving Championship. In Spiniello’s second year at the helm, he led the team to its best record since 2001. The 9-2 Scarlet Knights went undefeated in the BIG EAST posting a perfect 4-0 record.
Phil Spiniello served as the Rutgers swimming and diving team’s head coach from 2010-2015.
In 2012-13 RU finished with a 9-2 overall record, matching that of the previous year. The Scarlet Knights would capture a fifth-place finish in the BIG EAST Championships -- just missing fourth place by 4.50 points and 32.50 points shy of third. Then-sophomore Nicole Scott continued the Scarlet Knights’ diving legacy, winning silver at the Zone A Diving Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Division I Women’s National Diving Championships. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights went on to break four school records through the season in the 200 Butterfly (Brittany Guinee), 200 Breaststroke (Greta Leberfinger), 400 Medley Relay (Joanna Wu, Leberfinger, Guinee, Mary
Moser) and Platform Diving (Scott). The 2013-14 season proved to be a historic campaign for the Rutgers swimming and diving team, as the Scarlet Knights posted a multitude of notable accomplishments throughout the year and finished with a 9-4-1 record. For the first time since 2008, RU sent two student-athletes to the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in senior diver Nicole Scott and sophomore Joanna Wu. Wu’s selection to NCAAs marked the first swimmer under fourth-year head coach Phil Spiniello to advance to the championships. Scott would go on to garner Honorable Mention All-America honors after placing 16th overall in the platform. The diving captain qualified by capturing a silver medal in the platform dive at the 2014 Zone Diving Championships for the second-straight year. Out of the pool, Scott also represented the program well, earning two prestigious academic awards: the American Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Rutgers’ New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) Woman of the Year award. Spiniello was named the American Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year after leading Rutgers to a third-place finish at the inaugural AAC Championships, the squad’s best finish since 2007. The Scarlet Knights earned eight medals over the four-day championships. On the year, RU broke a total of nine school records between the ¬regular season and postseason. The 2014-15 season marked the program’s inaugural campaign in the Big Ten Conference. RU finished with a 9-1 dual record under Spinello as the Scarlet Knights broke six school records, four of which were set at the Big Ten Championships. For the second straight season, Rutgers sent two student-athletes to the NCAAs. Senior Greta Leberfinger represented RU in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, while Walkowiak competed in the 1-meter and platform diving events. Leberfinger finished 33rd in the 200 breaststroke competition and Walkowiak finished 43rd in the 1-meter dive. At the conclusion of the season, Spiniello stepped down from the helm of the program after a five-year tenure. Overall, a total of 13 Rutgers school records were established under Spiniello’s guidance. Spiniello also sent five different student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, including an Honorable Mention All-American in former Scarlet Knight diver Nicole Scott.
HISTORY 2015-Present: The Martin Era A new era for Rutgers swimming and diving began on May 5, 2015 when Petra Martin was named the program’s head coach. Before arriving “On the Banks”, Martin served as the head coach at Bowling Green State University, where she guided the program to a top-three finish at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships in three consecutive seasons. Martin was named the 2012-13 MAC Coach of the Year. Martin guided the Scarlet Knights to a 6-5 dual record in her inaugural season as Rutgers notched six new school records. Junior Alyssa Black, sophomore Addison Walkowiak and freshman Francesca Stoppa qualified for the NCAA Championships, marking the third consecutive season the Scarlet Knights had at least one swimmer and one diver represent the program at the NCAAs. Black earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in 3-meter diving, while Stoppa broke a school record in the 200 butterfly to finish 18th. Stoppa’s 18th-place performance was the best finish at the NCAAs for any Scarlet Knight swimmer since Shayna Longacre finished 15th in 100 breaststroke at the 2008 NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Petra Martin was introduced as the eighth head coach in program history on May 5, 2015.
In its 100-year history, the Rutgers Swimming and Diving program has been under the direction of just eight head coaches - James H. Reilly (1916-57), Otto H. Hill (1957-61), Frank W. Elm (1961-93), Elizabeth Blau (1993-96), Rick Simpson (1996-97), Chuck Warner (1997-10), Phil Spiniello (201015) and Petra Martin (2015-Present). Rutgers Swimming has enjoyed a proud history of success, achievement and one of the finest sports traditions “On the Banks.” Compiled after researching years of Scarlet yearbooks and Targums, this history is only a limited glimpse into the 100-year-old tradition and recognizes only a very few of the hundreds of athletes who trained, competed and contributed to the fine tradition of Rutgers Swimming. 1916-1930 Rutgers Swimming began in 1915 upon the completion of the Ballantine Gym with a $30,000 donation by Mrs. Ballantine for a pool addition. The pool was dedicated March 10, 1915 with a “gala” meet starring National Champion, world record holder and two-time Olympian (1908 and 1912) James Reilly (1997 Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame Inductee). Reilly was promptly hired as the “swim instructor” and four decades of excellence began. Reilly also presided over the new Eastern Collegiate Swimming Association from 1920 until 1927, with Rutgers compiling a record of 48 wins and only nine losses. Leo Geibel (‘23), also an AAU Champion, won the 220 free in the National Intercollegiates and set intercollegiate records in the 150 backstroke and 440 free. George Kojac (‘31) continued his national and world record-setting performances on campus and off. He represented the U.S. in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, winning gold medals in the 100 backstroke and 800 free relay. He won the 100 free title at the 1931 NCAAs and combined with Bill Marquette (‘30) and John Dryfuss (‘32) for a world record in the 300 medley relay.
1930-1961 The Ballantine Gym was destroyed by a fire in the early morning of Jan. 30, 1930, necessitating construction of a new facility. “Borrowed” sites such as the New Brunswick YMCA and Princeton University were used for swimming until the College Avenue Gym opened on March 11, 1932, with a huge “Aquatic Carnival.” In the 1930s, Walter Spence (‘34), a 1997 Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame inductee, began his career “On the Banks.” Spence was an AAU Champion and a Canadian Olympian. He won the 100 free in three consecutive NCAA Championships and combined with Walt Ashley (‘35), Ted Brick (‘34) and Norm Kramer (‘33) for a winning freestyle relay in the 1933 NCAAs. The 1930-33 teams boasted an overall record of 21-4. Later, Rutgers hosted the 1938 NCAA Championships at the “state of the art” College Avenue facility. From 1940-42 the Scarlet Knights registered a 22-6 record. The teams were led by AAU champ Chuck Gantner (‘44) who used the “new” breaststroke technique that eventually became the butterfly in 1954. Gantner was an Eastern Champion, National Champion and one-time world record holder. 1946-1956 saw continued successes with the teams recording an overall record of 64 wins against only nine losses. All-American Bob Nugent (‘52), a 1997 Olympic Sports Hall of Fame inductee, epitomized the era. Earning First Team All-American honors in ‘49, ‘50 and ‘51, Nugent was 1948 Eastern Champion in the 100 free, and an NCAA finalist in both 1950 and 1951. Reilly left Rutgers with an enviable record of 240 wins and 92 losses. His teams recorded five undefeated seasons, 12 seasons of only one loss and an overall .722 winning percentage. He was a recognized leader in the sport, having coached Olympians and world record holders during his long tenure at Rutgers. Riley was inducted into the
HISTORY Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. Head coach Otto Hill led the Rutgers men from 1957-1961. 1961-1991 Frank Elm was appointed head coach in 1961 after Otto Hill was promoted to Athletic Business Administrator. Elm came to Rutgers as a successful AAU Coach, New Jersey Interscholastic Champion, All-American from Indiana University and swimmer-coach in the Marine Corps. From 1961-72 the Scarlet Knights enjoyed 11-straight winning seasons, with an overall 79-42 record. The creation of the Eastern Seaboard Championships in 1965 brought the Scarlet Knights to a new level. Swimmers Bill Clark (‘63), Larry Jones and John Wasylyk (64), Don Galluzzi and Marty Flickenger (‘65), and diver Roy Nichols (‘64) (Eastern Champion and NCAA top-eight finisher) were the top performers. In 1968, Rutgers was fourth in the prestigious Easterns with top six performances by Bob Chenaux (‘66), in the 1650, Dave Feigley (‘66) in diving, All-American sprinters Bruce Ball (‘67) and Dick Woodrow (‘66), and Peter Hibbard (‘67), Eastern Champion in diving. Rutgers’ success in the Easterns continued with John Hannan (‘68) scoring in the 1650, 500, and 200 fly while Jim Rose (‘67), Elliot Cheneaux (‘68), Jim Parkinson (‘70), Jose Ferraioli (‘69), Dave Helming (‘71) and divers Peter Leitner (‘70) and Ted Doeing (‘72) contributed to the team’s efforts. Ferraioli and the Cheneaux brothers represented their native Puerto Rico in Olympic competition. Gregg Anderson ‘70 (Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame Inductee) was the leading point-scorer for the Scarlet Knights in the late 60s. He was named All-American in both 1968 and 1969 in the 200 backstroke and won three Eastern Championships while qualifying to compete in the NCAAs. The ‘70s are best known for the inclusion of women in the RU program. Olympian Judy Mellick (‘77), became the first female member of the Rutgers team and the first woman to compete with men. Mellick was among the pioneers as newly-coed RU embarked on a successful women’s athletic program. In recognition of her contributions, Mellick was inducted into the first class of the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. Rutgers women’s swimming burst onto the scene with three consecutive undefeated seasons, 1975-1977, and a dominance of Eastern Championships. The RU women were the only Eastern team to place in the top ten at the 1977 Nationals. Fifteen swimmers earned All-American recognition. Judy Mellick, Ellen Wallace, Debbie Franks, Maureen Mortell and Robin Locklair were among the leaders, champions and stars of their era. Wallace later represented the U.S. at the Pan-Am Championships and has been inducted into the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame. A 1997 inductee into the Rutgers Olympic Sports Hall of Fame, Tiny Condrillo Randazzo was a consistent scorer at the Eastern
Championships, a top-six finisher at Nationals and a two time All-American. In the ‘70s Elm had a 70-20 record with the women’s program.
Frank Elm (far left) poses with Judy Mellick (far right), who was Rutgers University’s first female varsity swimmer.
Frank Elm best described the ‘80s when he retired in 1993. In an interview he said, “There have been so many highs and lows over the years. The lows were not winning too much, especially during the 80’s when basically we had no scholarship help and our pool was antiquated. We couldn’t attract anybody, so it was really difficult to hang in there and keep going,” (Star Ledger, April 30, 1993). But the Scarlet Knights did keep going and continued with a proud and competitive decade. The ‘80s saw mostly .500 seasons for both men and women, but the teams were spirited and competitive. The 1987-88 season saw five school records broken. James McGuckin received the unprecedented awarding of both the James H. Reilly trophy and August Heintzmann awards. Swimmers Ron Farina, Peter Loftus and Ted Zlydaszek combined to lead the men to an 8-2 record and set eight school records in 1989. The long-awaited news that a new facility would actually be built aided Coach Elm in recruiting. Elm recruits Jeff Farschon, Larry Page and Tim Berlin led the Scarlet Knights’ rebuilding efforts. Atlantic 10 Champions and school record holders Farschon and Page were named Swimmers of the Year in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Elm retired after 31 years at the helm of Rutgers swimming. He led the efforts to construct the “state of the art” swimming facility which is part of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus. The facility, located just west of the football stadium, was completed in 1991.
HISTORY Championship meet in Erin McIntyre. Erin made the “A cut” in the 1650 freestyle, and also qualified for the 400IM and 500 freestyle. A year later, the women jumped to second in the conference and Warner was once again named BIG EAST Coach of the Year. The 2004-05 season was highlighted by the remarkable individual accomplishments of All-American Kelly Harrigan and senior Sean Smith, who both came away with BIG EAST Most Outstanding Performer honors at the conference championship meet. Both the men’s and women’s squads finished in third place, behind only Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, and are poised to remain at the top of the conference standings for years to come.
Frank Elm was a coach of the 64’ U.S. Olympic Team, of which Sue Pitt-Anderson and Ginnie Duenkel were members.
1993-2009 Elizabeth Blau, an Elm assistant, became the head coach in 1993 and led the team in its transition from the Atlantic 10 Conference to the tougher and faster BIG EAST. On 1994 Scarlet Knight swimmers went 7-2 in men’s competition, and 4-5 in women’s contests. Nine school records fell that season. Diving coach Fred Woodruff was named Atlantic 10 Diving Coach of the Year in 1995. Interim Coach Rick Simpson led the 1996-97 Scarlet swimmers as Rutgers hosted the BIG EAST Championships at the Werblin Center. The season was highlighted by a first-ever victory over Army. In 1997, California transplant and well-known coach Chuck Warner took over the building process at Rutgers. Warner began the process of re-building a championship program and continuing the storied success of Rutgers swimming. In 1998-99, the men’s team jumped from 10th to fifth at the BIG EAST Championships and in 1999-2000, the women vaulted from ninth to second at the conference championships, the most dramatic leap of any team in the BIG EAST. For his efforts, Warner was named BIG EAST Women’s Coach of the Year, following a season that saw his women’s squad finish with a 7-2 overall mark and shatter 20 school swimming and diving records. This feat, along with the 6-3 mark posted by the men’s squad, which finished third in the conference, served as tangible proof that Rutgers swimming was on the rise on a conference and national level. In 2002-03 the women’s team finished third in the conference, and broke all but two school records. The women’s team also saw its first ever qualifier for the NCAA
Kelly Harrigan was a four-time NCAA First Team All-American and 19-time BIG EAST champion during her career at RU.
The 2005-06 season, arguably one of the most successful under Coach Warner, was highlighted by the team’s second-place finish at the BIG EAST Championships and 18th-place showing at the NCAA Championships, the highest team finish in the program’s history. The Rutgers University swimming and diving team added yet another successful season to the programs storied history during the 2006-07 season. The team demonstrated the programs growing success by winning six straight dual meet competitions to end the season with a 6-1 record overall and a 3-0 mark in BIG EAST competition. The Scarlet Knights once again placed second in the BIG EAST Championships and managed a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Championships. In 2008 the Scarlet Knights captured three individual first-place finishes at the BIG EAST Championships and two swimmers advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Shayna Longacre garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors
HISTORY with her performance at the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, numerous former, current and future Scarlet Knights competed at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. In 2009, Catherine Whetstone earned a trip to the NCAAs after earning the gold at the BIG EAST Championships - and setting a new meet record - in the 100 backstroke 2010-2015 After the 2010 season, a new era was ushered in with the hiring of head coach Phil Spiniello. Spiniello saw great improvements in his squad during his first year with the Scarlet Knights. Senior Jen Betz made the trip to the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship at the University of Texas in Austin, following a second place finish at the Zone A Diving Championship. In Spiniello’s second year at the helm, he led the team to its best record since 2001. The 9-2 Scarlet Knights went undefeated in the BIG EAST posting a perfect 4-0 record.
Phil Spiniello served as the Rutgers swimming and diving team’s head coach from 2010-2015.
In 2012-13 RU finished with a 9-2 overall record, matching that of the previous year. The Scarlet Knights would capture a fifth-place finish in the BIG EAST Championships -- just missing fourth place by 4.50 points and 32.50 points shy of third. Then-sophomore Nicole Scott continued the Scarlet Knights’ diving legacy, winning silver at the Zone A Diving Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Division I Women’s National Diving Championships. Additionally, the Scarlet Knights went on to break four school records through the season in the 200 Butterfly (Brittany Guinee), 200 Breaststroke (Greta Leberfinger), 400 Medley Relay (Joanna Wu, Leberfinger, Guinee, Mary
Moser) and Platform Diving (Scott). The 2013-14 season proved to be a historic campaign for the Rutgers swimming and diving team, as the Scarlet Knights posted a multitude of notable accomplishments throughout the year and finished with a 9-4-1 record. For the first time since 2008, RU sent two student-athletes to the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in senior diver Nicole Scott and sophomore Joanna Wu. Wu’s selection to NCAAs marked the first swimmer under fourth-year head coach Phil Spiniello to advance to the championships. Scott would go on to garner Honorable Mention All-America honors after placing 16th overall in the platform. The diving captain qualified by capturing a silver medal in the platform dive at the 2014 Zone Diving Championships for the second-straight year. Out of the pool, Scott also represented the program well, earning two prestigious academic awards: the American Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Rutgers’ New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) Woman of the Year award. Spiniello was named the American Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year after leading Rutgers to a third-place finish at the inaugural AAC Championships, the squad’s best finish since 2007. The Scarlet Knights earned eight medals over the four-day championships. On the year, RU broke a total of nine school records between the ¬regular season and postseason. The 2014-15 season marked the program’s inaugural campaign in the Big Ten Conference. RU finished with a 9-1 dual record under Spinello as the Scarlet Knights broke six school records, four of which were set at the Big Ten Championships. For the second straight season, Rutgers sent two student-athletes to the NCAAs. Senior Greta Leberfinger represented RU in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, while Walkowiak competed in the 1-meter and platform diving events. Leberfinger finished 33rd in the 200 breaststroke competition and Walkowiak finished 43rd in the 1-meter dive. At the conclusion of the season, Spiniello stepped down from the helm of the program after a five-year tenure. Overall, a total of 13 Rutgers school records were established under Spiniello’s guidance. Spiniello also sent five different student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, including an Honorable Mention All-American in former Scarlet Knight diver Nicole Scott.
HISTORY 2015-Present: The Martin Era A new era for Rutgers swimming and diving began on May 5, 2015 when Petra Martin was named the program’s head coach. Before arriving “On the Banks”, Martin served as the head coach at Bowling Green State University, where she guided the program to a top-three finish at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships in three consecutive seasons. Martin was named the 2012-13 MAC Coach of the Year. Martin guided the Scarlet Knights to a 6-5 dual record in her inaugural season as Rutgers notched six new school records. Junior Alyssa Black, sophomore Addison Walkowiak and freshman Francesca Stoppa qualified for the NCAA Championships, marking the third consecutive season the Scarlet Knights had at least one swimmer and one diver represent the program at the NCAAs. Black earned Honorable Mention All-America honors in 3-meter diving, while Stoppa broke a school record in the 200 butterfly to finish 18th. Stoppa’s 18th-place performance was the best finish at the NCAAs for any Scarlet Knight swimmer since Shayna Longacre finished 15th in 100 breaststroke at the 2008 NCAA Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
Petra Martin was introduced as the eighth head coach in program history on May 5, 2015.
